In the sea of action blockbusters and police dramas that Hollywood is now producing, “Dan In Real Life”‘ is a delightfully refreshing change of pace.

Beautifully written and acted it proves that a simple yet intelligent script can still be successful in an industry obsessed with explosions and special effects.

Dan Burns’ (Steve Carell) life as a single parent consists of struggling to take care of his three daughters and writing his newspaper column about parenting and family life.

He has little time and no drive to have a romantic relationship after the death of his wife.

All that changes when he begins to fall in love with his brother’s girlfriend (Juliette Binoche) while on a yearly family retreat.

Dan must choose between love and family obligation as he tries to deal with his conflicting emotions.

Dan’s family is seemingly perfect. They play charades, football in the yard, and host a family talent show. However, this does no hide that fact that family members have their own separate problems.

Though they mean well, they are extremely blunt with one another, which is the source of much of the movie’s humor.

The title of the movie is terrifically fitting. In the same vein as movies such as “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Dan in Real Life” is a movie with a real life feel.

It is also the name of Dan’s newspaper column. Its characters and situations are comical yet reveal truths about people, family, love and life in general. It conveys the message that life is never predictable.

Carell is the king of the awkward situation and masterfully transforms one excruciatingly uncomfortable scene after another into pure hilarity. At times it becomes almost painful to watch as Dan embarrasses himself over and over because he simply cannot contain his emotion for Marie.

His family believes he is just depressed and tries its best to make him feel better, which only makes things worse.

Carell is quickly becoming one of the funniest men in Hollywood, although his humor is not traditional brand of humor. His recent popularity cannot be disputed.

Carell’s popularity grew immensely after his starring role in “40-year-old Virgin.”

While that film contained more run-of-the-mill humor, “Dan in Real Life” shows Carell in a new light.

Whether blunderingly clueless in the television show “The Office” or always seemingly in the wrong place at the wrong time as in this movie, Carell induces laughter that inevitably results from his acting ability.

In playing Dan, Carell is able to inspire a full range of emotions. His relationship with his girls is one of love and caring but it is not without its problems as they struggle to relate to each other and to him.

Dan’s brother (Dane Cook) is the class clown of the family. Cook’s comedic timing is a great asset to the film. He also proves that his acting ability can go beyond humor.

“Dan in Real Life” is a charming and witty adventure that doesn’t disappoint.

The film is already being called one of the best films of the year by critics and moviegoers alike.

With its character-driven plot and intelligent humor, “Dan in Real Life” is definitely a must-see film this winter.

Grab a group of friends and head to the nearest movie theater. This movie is well worth the $8 ticket.